ARENA backs RayGen concentrated solar PV at Vic mushroom farm

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has announced $4.8 million in support for Victorian company RayGen to continue commercialisation of its solar power system PV Ultra, including construction of a 500kW concentrated solar PV demonstration project of the Australian developed technology.

The site near Newbridge in Victoria will showcase the grid‐connected concentrated solar PV system which consists of two linked 250kW fields that will be used to power a local mushroom farm.

ARENA’s funding will go towards the 500kW expansion of the Newbridge pilot site. A scaleable manufacturing plant will also be upgraded to support deployment of RayGen’s technology in two initial projects in China with a combined 11MW capacity.

The Newbridge demonstration will allow RayGen to collect performance data, including efficiency, power and energy to provide “bankable data” required to support the further take up of concentrated solar PV by suppliers, investors and customers.

Founded in 2010, RayGen has a manufacturing line in Blackburn, Melbourne, and previously set the world record for solar efficiency with the UNSW in 2014.

ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the demonstration was an important step for the technology in Australia.

“This is an exciting opportunity for ARENA to invest in RayGen, an Australian‐based solar technology business, that is really leading the world in concentrated solar PV and making it commercially viable,” Frischknecht said.

“ARENA is committed to helping Australian companies create new renewable energy technology and export it to the world which RayGen is doing in China.”

“We’re excited to be manufacturing concentrated solar PV in Australia and deploying this technology into the Australian and global marketplace at precisely the time where there is huge demand for large scale solar power.

“With proven high efficiency and ultra‐low manufacturing cost, we see this as having huge potential, as we are on track to delivering the lowest cost solar power, ” said Dr Lasich.